Latch



y 1950 c. B. SHREVE 2,506,943

. LATCH Filed July 28, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l \rwsmog CUFFORD BSHREVE 1) M 14, 27 ATTORNEYS C. B. SHREVE May 9, 1950 LATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 28, 1947 w v 1 1 lllll Tm. A?

\NVENTOR CuFFoRo B.5HREVE 21 k OM ATTO RNEYS Patented May 9, 1956 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LATCH Application July 28, 1947, Serial No. 764,039

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a latch for releasably holding a closure at an opening in a case, cabinet or other similar structure. In many types of refrigerators, for example a refrigerating case or cabinet, there may be an open side or an opening at a side for access to interior space. The opening, to save loss of refrigeration, is normally closed by a closure, such as a door or other similar structure, which may be hingedly mounted or said closure may be mounted so that it may be detached and removed. In any case, releasable securing means is required and, preferably,

one which is quickly and easily operated for releasing the door, or other closure and for securing it in a tight, sealing, closing position. Numerous latches of many forms of Structure have been used. It is for the provision of a novel, practical and very efficient concealed latch that the present invention has been produced.

An understandin of the invention may be had from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a transverse section through a fragmentary portion of a wall of a refrigerating display case, which has an opening therein to be closed by a closure, also fragmentarily shown in section, and with the concealed latch of my invention applied thereto, said latch being shown partly in elevation and partly in section.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged part elevation and part section of the latch structure and the keeper, or strike with which it is releasably connected, with the latch in operative position.

Fig. 3 is a similar view with the latch disconnected, and

Fig. 4 is a section substantially on the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the diiferent figures of the drawings.

The latch is disclosed in the drawings in connection with a removable display closure at the front vertical side of a refrigerating display case. Said case at each side of the opening where the closure is located has a body I of suitable heat insulating material which, around the closure at the inner side, has an inwardly extending ledge 2 and, as shown, there is located against the ledge a bar 3 of wood, or other heat insulating material. The body insulating portions are covered by a metal covering 4 which, normally, is porcelain covered for sanitary and appearance purposes.

The keeper, or strike, for the latch comprises a boss 5 with an annular flange 6 at its outer end which is mounted and secured by screws in the member 3. Said member 3 has an opening to receive the boss, the flange 6 lying against the? outer side of the part 3 and the covering 4 having an opening for the flange. The boss is interiorly bored and threaded from its outer end part way through into which a stem 1 is screwed which, at its outer end, has a head 8. The boss 5 is also interiorly bored and threaded in an axial hole of smaller diameter from the bottom of the first described opening to the inner end of the boss. The stem l and head 8 have an axial passage. through which a longer headed rod 9 passes, theinner end of which is threaded to screw into the last mentioned interiorly threaded opening in the boss (Fig. 2).

With such structure, the head 8 which is the keeper portion, with which the latch releasably engages, may be accurately adjusted to desired position and permanently secured against accidental or other undesired change of position. Usually there is a plastic plate Ill over the cover-- ing i at the outer side of the part 3 which has an opening through it in which the flange 6 is located as shown in Fig. 1.

The case opening, which is surrounded at its sides by walls of the refrigerator casing, has a closure therefor which includes frame members II. In display refrigerator cases, the opening which is surrounded by the frame members II is built with a plurality of spaced glass plates I2 so that a visual inspection of the contents of the display refrigerator is provided. The frame mem-- bers II are covered with a metal covering l3, and said frame member I I has a portion removed. where a latch is installed, as shown in Fig. 1.. The latch is concealed within the covering I 3.. The usual sealing gasket I4, of rubber cushion,

type, is located at the inner side and around the:

edge of the closure to bear against the breaker strip Ill.

limited thereto.

In the latch structure, a housing formed of two sheet metal substantially cup-shaped parts I5 with flanges riveted together as shown (Fig. 4),

has an outer side I8 and at its inner end may be closed by a plate I1 with an opening through which the head of the keeper 8 may pass. Two spaced rods I'Ia extending between opposite sides of the housing, on each of which a latch member I8 is mounted for rocking movement. Each latch member I8, at its inner end, is provided with a hook I9 (Fig. 3) which when open, are adapted to have the keeper head 8 pass between; and when closed (Fig. 2) hook over the inner sides of the head 8 at diametrically opposite points. Each of the members l8 at its inner side has a lug 20, said lugs extending toward each other and located in alinement with the head 8 of the keeper. Each of the members I8 also has an outwardly extending end portion 2! each of which has a recess 01' seat therein for the inner end of a link 22.

The outer ends of the links are supported by seats provided by oppositely extending substan tially hook-shaped arms 23 of a saddle 24 located within the housing and outwardly of the latch members 18. saddle an operating rod 25 slidably passes. A coiled compression spring 26 is located around the inner portion of the rod 25, which inner portion is of larger diameter than the outer portion of it, one end of the spring being against the saddle 24 and the other against a flat ring or washer. 21 (Fig. 2) located against the side !6 of thehousing, the smaller diameter portion of the rod' 25 passing through the ring or washer 2.1. The spring 253 under compression holds the latch members I8 in either of the positions to which they may be moved, separated as in Fig. 3, or. in keeper engagin position, as in Fig. 2. Themembers wand the links 22 constitute toggle levers whereby the lines of thrust of the spring-28through the links 22 may be directed to one side or the other of and pass across-the axes of the rods Ila.

The rod 25 extends through the outer covering Not the closure frame and is guided in a sleeve 28 through which the rod passes, said sleeve having-an annular flange at its outer end screw connected to the outer side of the covering 53,

A second compression spring 30 is locatedaround the smaller diameter part of rod 25 outside-of the housing l5, against its outer end l6 atone end and against a fiat washer or ring 31' which is welded, brazed or otherwise secured totherod 25 and may bear against the inner end of sleeve 28.

Rod 25 at its outer end has a handle 29. Said handle when pushed upon, moves the rod 25 inwardly. The'spring 3%! will move the rod and handle outwardly when the pressure is released.

With the latch engaged with the keeper (Fig; 2), to release the closure, the handle 29 is pressed upon to move rod 25 inwardly. The inner-end of the rod comes against lugs 29 and turns the latch members l8 away from each other, and from the keeper head 8, to the posi-- tion shown in Fig. 3. The lines of thrust of the spring 26 imposed on their seats in the member's l8'by toggle links 22 cross the axes of the rods Ila and the latch members i3 are held in open. position. This releases the latch and the clos-' ure on which it is mounted from the keeper head l8. If more than one latch is used with a closure, they may be simultaneously released',f or at difi'erent times, each latch being. inde'- pendent in operation to release it from its keeper.

When. the closure is moved to closed position, thefixed. head 8 of the keeper passes through. the. opening in the plate i7 and is struck against by theinner sides of the lugs 25 as thelatch with. its closure is moved to its closed position. This causes the latch members 18 to be turned (about the axes of the rods ll toward each other, and toward the keeper head; and as soon as the lines-of thrust of the spring crosses the axes of the. rods Ila, the hooks I 9 move toward each- Through the center of the" 4 other by spring operation and hook over the head 8. This releasably connects the latching members [8 with the keeper head 8 until the first described operation of pushing upon the head 29 to move rod 25 inwardly is again done to throw the latch members outwardly to disengage from the head 8.

If by inadvertence, the latch members I8 should be moved to closed position when the door is open, then upon closing the door the rounded head 8 of the keeper will cam them outwardly and will pass between them to a latched position.

The latch is wholly concealed, except for the operating handle 2 9.

The structure is one designed for practical production with economy, and is certain in its operation and very effective and satisfactory in use.

I claim:

1 In a latch structure, a housing, two pivotally mounted jaws within said housing mounted upon spaced apart pivots, and each forming one partof a toggle lever, said jaws extending in the same direction from said pivots and between which a keeper is adapted to be located andwith which the jaws are adapted to engage, each of said jaw members having a lug thereon extending from the pivot thereof, said lugs extending toward each other, a manually operable rodslidabiy mounted on and extending into said housing through a side thereof and movable to engage against said lugs at a side thereof, said keeper'b'eing adapted to pass between said jaws and engage against the opposite side of said lugs, a saddle within the housing slidably mountedfupon' the rod and having oppositely extending arms each with a seat at its outer portion, a link forming the other part of each of said toggle levers, pivotally mounted at one end on each of said seats and pivotally engaging the other parts of said toggle levers, and a coiled compres-' sion spring around the rod between said saddle'and the side of the housing, through which the rod passes.

2. A sti'uctureas defined in claim 1, and sprin means around said rod outside of the housing" normally tending to move the rod away from .said lugs.

'3i A'latch comprising, a housing, a pair of hook, shaped jaws pivoted between their ends in said.

housing, a lug on each jaw, said lugs extending, toward each other, andin the path of a keep'er' when in unlatched position, a rod slidably mounted in the housing and engageable with said lugs, a saddle slidably mounted on said rod, toggle links seated'in saidsaddle and bearing against, said jaws and a spring surrounding-said rod bearing against said saddle.

CLIFFORD B. SHREVE.

REFERENCES CITED The'following references are of record file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS in the Sweden May 1,1931 

